Odd issue, been wrestling for the better part of a year with it, no luck finding help online as search terms return tons of irrelevant results.

Issue:- Windows 7 Pro x64 OS Install on VMware VM (Version 11) on ESXi 6.0 u1 [in the process of updating]- No relevant events in the Event Logs- Machine in Windows Corporate Domain environment- Issue does not occur on any other machines regularly (has happened on other PHYSICALWindows 7 installs, but it doesn't reoccur but once or twice a year on those)- Automatic Windows Updates turned 'OFF'

This occurs with ZERO human interaction and the only way I can fix it is by using vSphere to get into the machine, then 'Disable' the LAN Adapter and 'Re-enable' it. This almost immediately reconnects it to my domain network and everything is good.

The only software running on this VM is Oak Systems Int.'s "Evolve" (Call Center Live Call Board Display and Call Reporting Database). It runs a MySQL Database and a collector that connects to our Avaya Phone System via TAPI3.

Their support has been working with me to try and identify the problem, but we have virtually eliminated their software as the culprit, as testing on VMs in labs do not reproduce the problem.

This is a bug of some kind with the OS because I have seen it before on physical machines (as mentioned above) but this machine is Mission Critical and causes the Live Call Board to be down first thing Monday mornings.

Really annoying issue and with having seen this issue before, a reimage would be a lot of work for a small chance of resolving (reinstall/patch OS, backup/restore Database, reinstall/reconfigure Vendor Software, etc...)

Looking for permenant solution to the issue, not new Workarounds or suggestions RE: Reimage/Reinstall OS...(sfc /scannow found no OS file issues)

3 Replies

KB4088875 was a recent MS patch that screwed up NICs on server 2008R2 and WIn7 VMs on VMWare ESXi, it would uninstall the vmxnet3 driver and install a new one, which of course messes up network setting as you describe.

But that was just a week ago, and you say you're having problems for a year. Is that right?

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Correct. This isn't that issue. It's not a settings issue, it's like the machine loses network connectivity for a moment then when it tries to reconnect, it just connects to a phantom 'Network 2' with a generic IP and doesn't detect the domain network until the adapter is reset.